Water quality and management

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Water quality and management

Water quality and management includes any aspect of water resource management that relates to restoring, maintaining or improving the quality of water.

Healthy rivers are vital for biodiversity and to human health and well-being. Rivers provide habitats for wildlife, protect against flooding and provide places for recreation. Freshwater species are also relevant to biodiversity recovery and preservation.

In its 25 Year Environment Plan (25 YEP) 2018, the government promised to secure clean and plentiful water by ‘improving at least three quarters of our waters to be close to their natural state as soon as is practicable. This promise was continued in the 2023 Environmental Improvement Plan.

Regulators

The Environment Agency (EA) and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) are primarily responsible for maintaining and improving the quality of fresh, marine, surface and underground waters in England and Wales.

The Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) regulates and monitors the quality of drinking water in England and Wales. Drinking water quality standards in England and Wales are governed by the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016,

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ICC publishes expanded sustainable trade finance principles with social impact focus

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has published Wave 2 of its Principles for Sustainable Trade Finance, expanding the framework to include social impact criteria. The update introduces the new Principles for Social Trade Finance (PSoTF), which align with Loan Market Association standards, and provides enhanced guidance for sustainability-linked supply chain finance. In addition, the ICC has launched a public consultation for stakeholder feedback on the new components, which will run until 5 September 2025, with formal ratification anticipated in Q3/Q4 2025. These principles are designed to offer banks and corporates standardised criteria for assessing both environmental and social sustainability in trade finance transactions.

Sustainable finance and ESG monthly round-up—2 July 2025

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Commission launches consultation on exemptions to unsold clothing destruction ban

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